The invention relates to the field of acoustic tile systems and integral lighting elements.
Acoustic improvements are needed in most office, commercial and institutional environments. Sound absorbing sheet products, wall coverings or acoustic tiles are specified and applied in almost every contemporary building to address this need. Such existing systems accommodate all building life safety codes, are easy to install, inexpensive and ubiquitous. However, existing acoustic tiles have performance limitations in the face of changing work and lifestyle practices. The miniaturization of mobile communication and information tools and the advent of internet and wireless distribution networks have placed a premium on spatial flexibility for individuals and small and large groups. As mobility increases in residential, public and commercial settings, the overall architectural flexibility of space is increasingly important, and the attendant problem of providing acoustic privacy and a sense of individual place also increases.
Currently, acoustic controls are provided for example in the form of suspended ceiling tiles, which are combined with separate lay-in fluorescent light fixtures for lighting needs. However, this standard arrangement may be less than desirable from the perspectives of functional energy consumption, light control, light personalization and aesthetic appearance. The ceiling is an important architectural surface, yet its functional potential to both absorb sound and to distribute light in an energy-efficient manner which allows for the control of individual ceiling areas with an aesthetic design is currently ignored.
Thus, there is a need for an improved acoustic tile system that can be easily adapted for example to existing ceiling systems as well as building codes and construction conventions. It is advantageous for such an improved ceiling system to incorporate lighting and acoustic needs while providing for flexible aesthetic and functional alternatives to standard acoustic tile systems.